My African Adventure

Dansk Sprog	English language

Photo gallery

Blesbuck

Springbuck

Impala

Warthog

Grey Duiker

Mountain Reedbuck

Common Reedbuck

My African adventure

I don’t know if you could characterise me as a experienced hunter but the experience in Africa was by far the greatest until now. Approximately a year ago I talked to some of my hunting college (Niels and Rie) if we should try out hunting in Africa. They were in on that idea.

After an intense investigation on the internet in order to try to compare the different offers the choice fell on Nadania Safaris in Roskilde. After many, long and informative talks with Steen from Nadania Safaris we ordered a trip to South Africa more specific the Kwazulu Natal province.

It is correct that some papers has to be filled out in order to import and export arms in South Africa, but Steen could quickly give us the documents that was needed.

There after the time until the departure (27 marts 2007) should be used to the best. Nearly every weekend was used on the shooting range both after stationary targets and after mowing targets. I can only recommend that some training with the riffle is done before a safari. A good practise can be essential in those few seconds there is to shoot.

After a relative long flight (with no problems) and a drive of 500 km we arrived at the farm (Brakfontein Wildplass). The farm was as you can imagine when you are reading stories from Africa. Not a house in sight and huge fields. At Brakfontein mainly cattle and maize is farmed.

At the arrival at the lodge we were greeted by our stalkers (professional hunters), Roy, Amanda and John. We quickly got in a good talk and it was soon clear to us that these three hunters was top professionals and would do what ever it took to give us a experience for life and let me tell you at once we got the experience of a lifetime.

We have arranged it so that Niels, Rie and I should have a personal hunter – an arrangement that I only can recommend as the bond to the professional hunter by this 1:1 hunting becomes very near. The hunt is also more efficient in 1:1 hunting but I think that the relation to the professional hunter is the main thing.

During the evening it was arranged in such a way that Rie would follow Roy. Niels would go with John and I got Amanda as personal hunter.

Every body that has been stalking and been successful knows that you got a special relation to your stalker/professional hunter. I also got a special relation to my professional hunter and the fact that is was a beautiful woman with a enormous insight in the animal life and eyesight as an eagle did only improve on the relation. It may well be that the following text shown signs of my fascination of Amanda but it has to be so.

The day after our arrival it was time to check the riffles to check if there has happened something by transportation. Already on our way to the shooting range we saw a lot of game (springbuck; warthog and a variety of birds) and we already got an idea of how dense the game is in South Africa.

We made control shooting at 50, 100 and 200 meters. I had to adjust my riffle four clicks but there was no indication of major damage – phy.

Giraffes on the Savanna

My blesbuck

View over the hunting area

Almost right after the control shooting we were off hunting. On the way out in the felt we had the great experience to get very close ( 20 – 30 meters) to four giraffes.

We also saw big herds of wildebeest, springbuck, blesbuck and impala. It was a very big experience for us and we could not comprehend that we really was in Africa.

The hunting this morning took place from a African kind of a hide which is a round circle of stones where you are hiding and waits for the animals to pass. We have not been there very long before a herd of wildebeest came in to about 75 meters. It was not the wildebeest that was the target this morning so we only enjoyed the sight of them.

After aprox. half an hours later we got sight of a small herd of blesbuck that was slowly coming against us. Now the hunting was really starting and the adrenaline was pumping.

Amanda sized the herd and decided that there was at least two worthy trophies in the herd. As the herd was at a distance of aprox. 160 meters I took a shot at the animal that was pointed out by Amanda. I have to be honest and say that the practise of shooting at this distance is minimal for me. The blesbuck wandered off stooping. I shoot two more times where after I could see that further shooting was pointless. We vent for the place of the first shoot and Amanda and her tracker found some blood. I was embarrassed and apologized my bad shooting. Amanda was a good sport and only said that I have to get used to shooting in the high grass. The grass was aprox to the hip.

After a short time Amanda heard over the radio that the blesbuck was shoot dead by a neighbour post and I was glad that the animal should not suffer more.

Now my first African game could be admired. Of course I had no chance in evaluating the trophy size but I was very glad for my blesbuck and Amanda had seen him as a good representative of the species. All the professional hunters and my hunting college gather together around the blesbuck and there was made preparation for photos. It was soon clear to us that this type of work the professional hunters had made often and it was made very professional.

Then there was gathering and transport to the lodge for brunch. It was quit unreal to me – I have only been hunting in Africa for a couple of hours and already I have got my first trophy.

In the afternoon it was out hunting again and we chose again to sit in the hides and wait for the animals.

Amanda, her tracker Denis and I have been sitting in the hide for aprox 1 hours when a big herd of spring buck was mowing in front of the hide. Amanda quickly pointed out the biggest springbuck in the herd and I took a shot. The springbuck went down but as we got a little bit closer it could be seen that the buck was still alive and I had to shoot again.

It was a very nice springbuck and there was again taken some nice pictures even it was getting a little dark.

My first day hunting in Africa had given me two magnificent animals and even that my shooting was not optimal I was very happy.

In the evening there was a good time around the campfire and many histories was told that evening.

The next day started with goose hunting, but the geese would not fly properly – I had three sling shot after geese but with no results – maybe some training with the shotgun before next hunting season.

View over the hunting area (in the mittle a rhino is standing)

Vortesvin, Warthog, Intibane

(Dansk, Engelsk, Zulu)

Herd of Eland

On the way home from goose hunting we suddenly discovered some guinea fowl which also where allowed game. We tried to drive the guinea fowl as ordinary pheasants but at this occasion I did not get a chance for a shoot. Niels got two.

After brunch we were hunting with the riffle again. Amanda and I has now decided to take a stalk in an area and that turned out to be very exciting. While we are standing on a kopje (small stone hill) we spotted a herd of impala aprox. 400 meters away. The wind was not in our favour but we got around the herd and that despite that we should be careful not to spoke some wildebeest and two eland bulls that were standing on the other side of the kopje – that was real hunting.

We got around the herds of impala and were aprox. 80 meters away. In the herd there was three big impala trophies and Amanda got one pointed out for me. I felt that I could take a good shoot but unfortunately it was a lung shot and I had to shoot one more time before the impale was dead. The African game is in my opinion very though. I also realized that per instinct was lifting my shoots due to the high grass. One the other hand I was glad that no one of the magnificent animals that I shoot were suffering very long. My impala was really really nice and I do not think that I have seen a nicer skin on an animal (including our own reed roe buck).

The impala was shoot away for the common road so we had to carried it some distance before the animal could be loaded onto the car. But when you have got such a beautiful animal a little work don’t matter a thing.

Then it was time for lunch and during the lunch I became aware that I now already had achieved to get three magnificent animals and hasn’t really realized it. I recognized that there already had been so many impressions and that there would come many more. I could not comprehend them all and I decided only to enjoy the moment and then deal with impressions later.

After a little break in the worst heat (35 – 40 C) Amanda, her tracker and I went hunting again. This afternoon we had a very good stalk where we among other thing should get past a herd of wildebeest. We had the luck that the wildebeest actually chased some warthog out of the dense rush. The herd of warthog went out on the savannah and we were concerned that we have lost the herd. But Amanda got them spotted again. Although we where as close as 80 meters it was almost impossible to se the warthog in the high grass. Suddenly a chance appeared and I was ready and let the bullet fly. The warthog turn on a dime and ran the other way. I managed to shoot one more time – so the practice in Denmark paid out. After a couple minutes we could go to have a look at the warthog. I have never in my life seen such a big pig including my hunting trips in Germany. Again some very nice pictures was taken which I have to live on until I received the trophies.

As it almost was tradition there was real cosy atmosphere a the campfire that evening and the pleasant atmosphere was spiced with the fact that Niels and I had to be baptized as African hunters. In the effort not to spoil the experience for hunters in the future on the African continent I will not describe the procedure in detail. I can mentioned that the baptize was rounded off with a kiss from Amanda – but I am not certain that this part of the ceremony is carried out all over Africa.

The next morning we started out on the car – I don’t know if Amanda could sense that now I really needed some time to comprehend the experience but we were on the car together with Roy and Rie most of the day. This day Rie had the skills to get close to a blue wildebeest. The wildebeest got a good bullets in the heart and ran aprox. 100 meter before it went down. It was Rie’s first African trophy so she was very happy.

Blue Wilderbeast hunted by Rie

Jakson Frankolin

Giraffes on savanna

When we were loading the wildebeest on a tractor (it’s a fairly big animal) I almost accidentally looked around and under a tree aprox. 300 – 400 meters away a duiker was standing grassing unconcerned that we were making a lot of noise with the tractor and talking. It was quickly decided that Amanda and I should try to stalk the duiker. In the stalk the high grass was a good help and we were getting to aprox. 100 meters from the animal. After Amanda had said OK I took a shoot and the duiker was dead on his feet after in good bullet in the heart. We had by luck got two good trophies in a distance af 500 – 600 meters apart – Yes Africa is unbelievable.

And as if this was not enough Rie could bring down a nice impala on the way home and it was still morning.

After a short break in the midday heat we went bird shooting. We had the luck that one of the neighbour came with a lovely Wiemeraner. We could now proceed with the hunting for Francolins and it was nice to see a good and secure dog working. This afternoon Niels and I got four birds together even if the major part has to be granted to Niels – Its that thing with the practice with the shotgun.

In the evening there was again a good time by the campfire and Rie could now be baptized as African hunter. Her ceremony was not as extensive as the one Niels and I got but she got no kiss from Amanda.

I had already experienced a lot and got trophies I only had fantasized about. As we still got a couple of days left I had to ask Amanda what she would propose that we tried out. In her opinion we should now try to get close to a mountain reedbuck so we agreed to try that already next morning.

As the name indicate the mountain reedbuck lives in the mountains so next morning we started off in a mountainous part of the farm. After a stalk off aprox 30 minutes we sad down in order to study the opposite mountain side. After a short while Amanda and her tracker has spotted a small herd of Mountain reedbuck and in the herd there was a good buck.

Now the only concern was to get over on the other side without spooking some other animals. It will seems unbelievable to you but actually we got a little bit angry with a blesbuck that where standing right in our route. We got around the blesbuck and came to a distance of aprox. 80 meters of the mountain reedbuck without any notice. The riffle came slowly on the sticks. The buck was facing us a little but I felt that I could deliver a good shot and after the OK from Amanda I took the shot. The buck disappeared in the shot and four female mountain reedbuck that were close by didn’t react at all. After we have enjoyed this scene a couple of minutes we went forward to the buck. The females didn’t flee before we were about 40 meters away.

The buck was hit angled from the front but was after my best guess dead on his feet. Hereafter the trophies could be admired. The trophy is very interesting as the horn is pointed forward. Amanda told me that it was a very big buck – I had to admit again that my knowledge about the mountain reedbuck is so that I had no chance to estimate the size but I was glad that I had brought down a good representative of the species but the hole stalk will be something that I will remember for a long time.

Here after we had to get the buck down from the mountain and onto the car.

After lunch there was just time for a short nap hereafter it was out in the felt again with the riffle. I had already long time ago give up to comprehend all the experience. After a recommendation from Amanda we would now try to get close to a common reedbuck. We were stalking in an area with dense rush and suddenly a common reedbuck got up only 30 meter in front of us but it was a wily gentleman so he quickly disappeared in the rush again.

Giraffes on savanna

Amanda and I with a Mountain Reedbuck

Niels with his Warthog.

It is the warthog in the front

This afternoon was the first stalk that Amanda and I had have where I didn’t shoot anything – not that I was dissatisfied – not at all. It was agreed that we now would try to go specific after this common reedbuck.

The next day it was the last day of the hunt – we could not understand where all that days could go so fast and could not comprehend all the fantastic experiences we have had. Amanda, her tracker and I would the last day give the common reedbuck we have seen the afternoon before a chance more.

The stalk was careful planed so that it was a hope that the buck not would go into the rush again. This morning we had the experience to stay 15 meter (in good wind) away from tree wildebeest. They didn’t know that we where there. We used some time to stay and observe as Amanda and her stalker has seen a glimpse of a common reedbuck that disappeared in the high grass – as usually I haven’t seen a thing.

We where slowly stalking out on the savannah and suddenly the buck got up aprox. 150 meters away but he disappeared with out a chance for a shoot. We continued the way where the buck has disappeared. We came to a little tree and suddenly not one buck but three reedbuck is standing not more than 60 meters away. The riffle quickly got on the sticks and as one of the buck was standing good I took the shoot.

Hereafter there was great confusion but luckily Amanda keeps the overview and sees that the buck ran for a short while and then got down. Even such a large animal as a common reedbuck can be very difficult to find in the shoulder high grass. Suddenly I see some movement and we can go up to the buck and I have to shoot him in the heart.

Now we could admire the nice reedbuck. My first shoot was a lung shot and would have killed the buck after a short while but I am glad that we found him quickly and could kill him. I’m not 100 % sure that it was the buck that we had seen the other day but that I didn’t have to think about in the moment where three bucks where standing in front of me.

The buck was moved to a place with shorter grass and some nice photos was taken with the deep blue African sky as background.

So my last stalk (in any case for this time) with Amanda I had got yet another nice trophy.

The last afternoon hunting was used to go after guinea fowl and I got one this afternoon.

My trip to Africa was fantastic and I said to my friends after only a couple of days – I got the African bug – The bug that demands you to come back.

I have never before in my life had so many experiences on such a short time and I am not sure that I have understand it all yet.

At last I would like to thank Steen from Nadania Safaris for a good trip where everything was in order. I would like to thank Amanda again my fantastic hunter which led me to these great experiences. All in all there is a lot of people to thank Roy, John, Thies and Ramalda.

As it can be seen from the text above I have not described so much about the experiences that Rie and Niels also had. That mainly due to the fact that I was not in the experiences that they had and therefore has difficulties to describe them but they also had a fantastic trip to Africa.